Athena's Prodigy
by BWEnthusiast
Summary: There is a darkness coming and even the gods of Olympus are powerless to stop it. Their only hope lies in the hands of a young boy, who's life is about to change forever. Will Athena be able to keep him on the path to the light or will he fall to the darkness? AU, BMWW
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

_**Hello reader! Welcome to my first DC/BMWW story!**_

_**This story is inspired by **_**Geeky BMWW Fan**_**'s **_**Stranger in Paradise**_**, an amazing story that was unfortunately left unfinished. I want to make sure that the proper credit is given because there will be some aspects in this story that will be very similar between the two. **_

_**I'm also a pretty open-minded author so if you ever feel like critiquing my writing, feel free to do so. I also check my PM box frequently so shoot me a message if you wish to discuss anything.**_

_**Anyways, I hope you enjoy **_**Athena's Prodigy**_**.**_

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

In a realm long forgotten and far above the eyes of man, where pillars rose to unbelievable heights and walls were made of shimmering gold, a group of powerful beings gathered together in a large temple. Each of them beautiful and majestic in their own right and dressed in clothes fitting of their stature, yet, despite their collective glory, the tension and unnerving feeling in the room told that this was not a joyous gathering.

"The omens don't bode well for mankind," the regal one, Hera, stated, her beautiful brows frowning into a troubled state.

"Yes, even my animals are becoming restless," the huntress, Artemis, added, gripping her bow as she flexed the string.

"All of Olympus is on edge," Aphrodite, the lovely one, nodded in agreement, her voice full of worry.

"Well is there anything we can do?" the swift one, Hermes, asked. "We keep having these weekly meetings but we can never come up with anything."

It was true. For months now they've been meeting together to discuss the coming problem, yet despite their group commitment, no one has been able to think of a solution. As the coming conflict draws closer and closer, the situation only looks more dire. It was beginning to become quite worrisome, even for immortal gods.

"I believe I may have something."

Five heads turned to the man who walked over to join the group, his very presence emitting a soft, melodic feeling that slightly eased the tension in the air. Apollo: the god of the Sun, music, and healing.

"Has the oracle shown you anything brother?" Artemis questioned her twin.

Apollo shook his head. "No, the oracle will not help us with this affair. I fear even it cannot see clearly what is to come. The future is filled with so much darkness… but I believe I may have found a solution."

"Do please tell," Hera insisted.

At his queen's request, the radiant one summoned a large circular mirror that lay horizontal and suspended in mid-air. The mirror showed nothing but pitch black darkness, but if one were to look closer, they would discover that not all of what the mirror projected was dark.

"A single light. A single speck of hope."

The projection zoomed to a single dot of light on the dark plain, enlarging it thousands and thousands of times until an image of a child appeared.

"It's a boy," Aphrodite said, a small smile appearing on her beautiful face as she looked at the child. Piercing blue eyes, dark black hair, a strong, powerful jaw. She would keep an eye on this one.

"Yes it is," Apollo responded. "It was difficult, but I was able to glimpse at the light this boy is capable of bringing. He is a special one; one that I have not seen for millenniums. His very existence will inspire others to join him. He may be our only hope for the conflict ahead…"

A pause.

"I sense a 'but' here…" Hermes noted.

Only a nod was returned. "But… this is only true if he is brought up properly. This boy will grow up on the very edge of darkness and light, his entire life balancing the good and the evil of the world. I have foreseen that if he chooses the wrong path, not only will the mortal world fall but Olympus will fall with it. Rest assured that this boy holds the key to the outcome of this conflict."

"And if we are to leave him alone?" Artemis asked, recognizing the possible alternative.

"Even I do not have the answer to that," the Sun god answered truthfully. "Perhaps he will find the light on his own or perhaps his light will disappear and another will come forth instead. All I can determine is that without our interference, only fate knows what the outcome of the boy will be."

"Then we must come to an agreement as to whether we interfere with the boy's life or not," Hera spoke.

The gods and goddesses around her fell into silence as they each pondered their thoughts on the situation at hand. The regal one looked around, sensing great hesitation from the others.

"Well?"

Hermes was the first to speak, naturally. "I don't know… it seems like such a risk. Maybe it would be better if we waited for another light to show itself-"

"Which might not even happen," Aphrodite countered, cutting him off. "This one took so long to appear. We may not have another opportunity."

"Apollo, you brought up this topic but you've yet to share your personal thoughts," Hera indulged the male god.

"I too am uncertain as to which course of action is the right one...although," he pondered, "…the sheer potential the boy can achieve cannot be ignored."

"But what of the repercussions, brother?" Artemis opposed. "Surely the consequences outweigh the benefits in the situation."

"So you are on the side of opposing to interfere?"

Artemis hesitated. "No, well…not necessarily…"

"I will guide the boy."

All gods and goddesses fell silent and turned surprisingly towards the owner of the voice—the only one who has yet to speak. The goddess of wisdom and war: Athena. Not one to speak out often, on the rare occasions that she does, she is always met with immediate attention and respect. Being known as the wise one certainly helps solidify her reputation as well.

"Are you saying you are willing to take the boy under your wing?" Hermes asked, slightly caught off guard, as was everyone else.

"Yes, I am willing to guide him towards the right path."

"Are you sure Athena? You know the risk…" Hera began.

"Yes, I do. But this boy…" Athena turned to the mirror image of the dark-haired child, "there's something about him…"

The wise one stared at the image before her, staring at the eyes that drew her in ever since Apollo brought up the mirror. They were the purest shade of blue, keen, determined, and unlike other boys his age they hinted at an intelligence beyond which others could see with the naked eye. The only way to describe it was… extraordinary.

"Well, I'm not about to disagree with the goddess of wisdom," the swift one commented.

"Yes, she does tend to be right most of the time," Artemis begrudgingly agreed. "Annoyingly so."

Athena shot her a quick, small grin before turning to the others. "If everyone is in agreement, I shall place the child under my protection and I will personally watch over him as he develops."

"Does anyone have an objection?" Hera asked, looking around. After a few moments of silence, the queen of the gods turned her head to Athena. "Very well, the boy is now under your care, Athena. Do as you must, and feel free to come to us for aid of our gifts as well. In the meantime, the rest of us will attempt to come up with a backup plan, but even so, this boy may very well be the only one who can stop the coming conflict."

"Yes my queen, I thank you for your blessing," Athena said with a bow.

With a nod, Hera disappeared in a flash of light. Following her, the other gods and goddesses said their quick goodbyes before leaving in their own fashion. Hermes with a gust of wind, Apollo in a flash of light, Aphrodite with a blown kiss, and Artemis with a simple shrug before casually strolling out of the temple, leaving Athena alone along with the mirror image of the boy.

The goddess of wisdom turned towards the image and slowly walked closer to the mirror, her eyes trained once again on the boy's eyes. Yes, this boy certainly is special, with eyes that held so much hidden, untouched potential. If she and this boy are to become close in the coming years, discovering this hidden potential and bringing it out of the boy would be her personal goal.

A thought crossed her mind as she turned away from the mirror, a look of curiosity and wonderment on her face as she headed out of the temple.

Had she finally found her prodigy?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

The large boat rocked gently as it glided along the sea's waters. The stars up above shone brightly as it illuminated the night sky, as if guiding the boat along its journey. Somewhere on this large metal vessel stood a young boy leaning against the railing of the boat, his black hair dancing to the wind of the ocean breeze and deep blue eyes staring out over the water's edge.

Next to him stood a man, older in age, who watched the boy with a careful eye. Most people thought he was the boy's father, but if you looked closer and recognized the boy, you would recognize the man not as the father but as Alfred Pennyworth, the loyal butler and guardian of the young Bruce Wayne.

The two males stood against the rail in silence, Alfred noticed his young charge begin to shift his feet around.

"Alfred, I think I'm going to walk around the ship for a bit," Bruce told him as he turned his head to face him.

"Very well Master Bruce, just ensure you return to the cabin before too long." He only got a nod in return.

Alfred watched as his young charge slowly walked away with his hands tucked into his pocket. His eyes followed him until he disappeared around the corner and Alfred let out a sigh, turning back towards the sea and crossing his arms on the railing to lean over.

Ever since the death of his parents, Bruce had never seemed to be the same again. Of course, witnessing the murder of one's parents would be extremely traumatizing, especially for a young boy, but Alfred didn't expect for things to change so dramatically and so suddenly. He knew the moment he heard the news on that fateful day and rushed to find the new heir of the Wayne family fortune that nothing would be the same again.

And indeed it wasn't. Gone was the bright-eyed, cheerful little boy he knew from before. He still remembered when the young master would run down the stairs full of energy and laughter, eager to learn and fulfill his curious little mind.

But that little boy was gone, replaced by this quiet, reserved shell of who he once was. The new Bruce had lost the spark in his eyes and the jump in his step. Now he walked around with a distant look in his eyes that revealed no emotions, hiding his true feelings from the real world. He no longer socialized with anyone around him, instead, chose to isolate himself away from everyone else so he wouldn't have to talk to anyone. His demeanor now seemed more dark and closed-off, completely contrary to the open and bright boy he once was.

At first Alfred had thought this would only be a phase. His friends had suggested he leave him alone and hopefully Bruce would return to his old demeanor with time. After all, they say time heals all wounds. So, he had left him alone.

It's been two years since then, and during those two years, Alfred has seen no improvement. In fact, all he's seen was the young master become more and more reclusive each day. At the end of the first year, Bruce had stopped going to school completely on account of not willing to socialize with the other children and the schoolwork being too easy for him. After that, Bruce would spend all his time studying in his room or the library, rarely even spending time with him, let alone anybody else. At the very least he was exceeding his studies but it was not the improvement he was hoping to see in the young boy.

Eventually he had had enough and decided to take a more active role in Bruce's life. He began taking his charge out more often, specifically to places he had enjoyed when he was young in hopes of sparking some kind of interest. Over the past few months he's taken Bruce to everything, from sporting events to circus acts, yet all he would do was sit through it quietly and uninterestedly.

This is what led them here, on a cruise somewhere in the southern part of the Aegean Sea. At a young age Bruce had taken an interest into ancient cultures, in particular, ancient Greece. So, Alfred had decided a nice way to rekindle that interest would be to tour all around Greece and visit some of the influential cities of the beautiful European country. They had recently visited important cities like Thebes and Athens, and now they were on their way towards the region of Peloponnese where they planned on making their way towards the town of Sparta.

Yet, despite the beautiful sights and the extensive learning experience this trip has provided, Bruce still seemed detached. Due to knowing the boy since birth, Alfred could at least tell that Bruce was interested in what they have seen so far, but the boy still held a blank stare in front of him wherever they went, as if he acknowledged his surroundings but his mind was somewhere else. He always had that distant look and Alfred couldn't distinguish whether it was a look of thoughtfulness or boredom.

As another sigh escaped the butler's mouth, he looked up and was startled to see the sky no longer illuminated by the bright stars. Instead the little lights were hidden behind a large, dark cloud which seemed to appear out of nowhere and covered the entire sky, plunging it into darkness. In fact, it was so dark that Alfred could barely see out past the light of the boat.

"How strange..." he muttered as he turned to go look for his young charge.

Taking a lap around the ship, Alfred was unable to find the young master. When it started to rain, he quickly made his way inside to the boat's eating hall, wiping his shoes on the mat before entering. People were sitting around and chatting as he walked through the hall, looking around for Bruce. Not seeing him, he spotted a few men sitting at a booth playing cards and made his way towards them.

"Strange weather we're having, huh?" He heard one of them say in a thick Greek accent, placing down his cards. "Flush."

"Yeah, it was nice just a few minutes ago and now it's pitch black outside," another man agreed, placing his cards down as well. "Full house."

"μαλακας," the first man swore under his breath, begrudgingly pushing his chips towards the other man.

"Pardon me," Alfred greeted, turning the heads of the men. "By any chance have you seen a young boy walking around here? He has black hair and is wearing a gray collared shirt."

"I think I saw him go down to the lower level," the winner of the hand answered, gathering his chips.

"Thank you," Alfred said, nodding to the men before heading for the stairwell.

Making his way down the stairs he noticed the sound of chatter slowly get quieter and quieter behind him until it was just silence. He pushed through the doors of the lower deck level and looked around the large, dark area. The boat uses this level for storage so naturally nobody is usually on this level. Everyone except his charge, it seems.

Alfred could hear the heavy sound of rain pouring from outside as he stepped around crates and wandered through the large room. He called out Bruce's name multiple times but received no response. A loud boom from outside echoed through the hollow area, startling him slightly as he took a glance outside just in time to see a flash of lightning, blinding the window.

Following the flash, just as Alfred was turning away to look elsewhere, he noticed in the corner of his eye a figure outside the window. Doing a double-take, Alfred's eyes widened when he saw that not only was there a figure standing outside in the storm but the figure was none other than Bruce. The butler hurried towards the door, opening it and immediately being hit by a barrage of strong winds and pouring rain.

"Master Bruce!" Alfred called out but his voice was lost within the loud winds.

"Master Bruce!"

The second call seemed to reach his ears as the young boy turned around, startled to see Alfred standing there holding the door open and waving him over.

"Alfred?"

"Master Bruce, what on Earth are you doing out there?! Get inside this… instance…"

The butler's jaw fell open and his eyes widened at something behind the young boy. Bruce, who noticed this, slowly turned to follow Alfred's gaze and froze.

Behind him was the biggest wave he had ever seen in his life. Seemingly emerging out of nowhere from the darkness of the sea, it was the size of the boat itself and it was rushing right towards them.

"Good heavens," he thought he heard Alfred say over the sound of the wind, but frankly he was suspended in a state of shock to be able to focus on anything other than the giant wave headed towards him.

"Run Master Bruce! Quickly!" Alfred yelled out.

Bruce heard him and turned around, the look of shock on his face. Finally something clicked in his mind that told him he should do what he was told. He forced his legs out of its shocked state and began sprinting towards the door. He could feel the looming wave behind him closing in on them as he pushed forward, running as fast he could.

"Master Bruce, take my hand!" the butler shouted, extending his hand out while keeping the door propped open with the other.

"Alfred!" Bruce shouted back, reaching forward to grab the hand.

And then the wave hit.

Just as Alfred was about to grab the hand of his charge, the side of the boat was hit with the full force of the giant wave. The entire boat rocked and Alfred stumbled back, right into the waiting path of the hard metal door being slammed closed by the weight of the water. The blunt force of the door on the butler's head knocked Alfred back inside, and all he could see as he fell was the world around him fading away into darkness.

The last thing he saw was Bruce being engulfed by the wave.

* * *

Water.

There was so much water.

Bruce hadn't felt the fear of dying since that fateful day two years ago that changed his life forever. The memory was still as clear as day and was the only thought on his mind. He still remembered the exact moment the feeling of fear had hit him. It was also the exact moment he knew that he would be alone.

Just as he was now.

Water rushed all around him, trying to enter his lungs as he forced himself up for a much needed breath of air before being pushed right back into the water.

The only reason he hadn't drowned yet was due to the fact that he was an excellent swimmer and was able to hold his breath for longer than the average ten year old. But still, he was only human and nothing could have prepared him for this.

Bruce felt his body being jerked around by the harshness of the sea, forcing him in deeper. It was as if there was someone purposely keeping him submerged in the water. He felt his lungs begin to burn from holding his breath for so long and his body screamed for another breath of air. Desperation overcame him and Bruce swam upwards as best he could before he had to succumb to unconsciousness.

He was about to reach the top when another wave crashed down over top of him, forcing him back into the depths of the sea. And even though he still kept trying, it was this moment where he knew he was going to die.

Him, 10-year-old Bruce Wayne, the last member of the Wayne family, was going to die.

And he was terrified.

But then, just as his eyes were about to close he felt something grip onto his arm and pull him towards the surface. Forcing his eyes open just a little longer, he saw that what grabbed his arm wasn't someone's hand but a talon.

His last thought before falling into unconsciousness was a strange one.

_Did he just get saved by an owl?_

* * *

The next time Bruce opened his eyes, his first instinct was to cough hard as his lungs gasped for oxygen. He lay there on his back for a few moments, catching his breath, before forcing himself on his knees and looking around.

He was on a beach somewhere on what looked like a huge island. Rain was still pouring down from above which made it hard to see in the distance, but Bruce was able to make out a forest somewhere up ahead. There didn't seem to be any person insight, and more importantly, no owl either.

Shaking his head, Bruce forced himself to his feet, feeling slightly nauseous and lightheaded, and wiped the wet sand off his hands and soaked clothes. Of course there was no owl. He must have been hallucinating as he was falling unconscious. The waves probably washed him up onto the beach.

Suddenly he remembered he wasn't the only one who might have been washed away by the wave.

"Alfred?" he called out, looking around for his butler. Was Alfred alright? Did he get washed up on the island too? He couldn't remember if Alfred had gotten swallowed by the wave or not.

Either way, he was all alone.

Bruce decided the smartest idea would be to find a place to rest for the night and maybe find help if the island had any inhabitants.

He started towards the forest, his first step being a near tumble back to the ground. Bruce grit his teeth and forced himself forward. A cold wind blew by, making him shiver in his wet clothes as he stumbled his way into the safety of the forest.

Wandering through the dark, rainy woodland, Bruce felt a strange sense of comfort here, despite his poor condition and the rough situation he was in. It was as if there was something magical about the forest, though, he wasn't one to believe in magic. One closer look at the vegetation and he noted he couldn't recognize any of the trees or plants. He started to wonder just how far the waves had pushed him from civilization.

Bruce walked through the forest for what felt like an hour and finally he spotted a clearing up ahead. He dragged his exhausted legs forward until he emerged from the forest and found himself in a small open area. There was a pond to his right and up ahead an entrance to a cave on the side of a small mountain. Without a second thought, Bruce headed for the dry shelter.

Once he was out of the pouring rain he immediately collapsed against the wall of the cave. He brought his knees to his chest to try to conserve body heat as he noticed his entire body was shaking. For the first time since waking up on the island, he realized the gravity of his situation.

He was lost on an unknown island, probably with hypothermia and no means of communicating with someone for help.

He was cold, wet, exhausted, dizzy, and his chest hurt from almost drowning.

And most importantly, he was all alone.

He just wanted to go home.

Bruce felt a single tear run down his cheek and he quickly wiped it away, refusing to show weakness, even in front of himself. He forced himself to lie down on the cold, hard cave floor, hoping to at least rest his eyes.

If this was the situation he was thrust into, so be it. It's not like anything good has ever happened to him anyways.

If it was up to his luck, he'll probably die here anyways. Cold, forgotten, and alone.

"You are not alone Bruce."

The light voice startled him and his eyes immediately shot open, shocked to find a woman standing a few feet away from him further into the cave. He forced himself into an upright position, slightly on his toes in case he needed to jump away as he stared at the mysterious woman with a careful eye.

The woman was tall and very attractive, with long, curly brown hair and a soft, olive skin complexion. She wore a beautiful white chiton which wrapped around her curvy form, yet also radiated a strong, fierce presence. What was the most striking about her, however, were her stormy grey eyes; compassionate but filled with an intelligence beyond this world.

"Who are you?"

The woman smiled softly. "A friend. All will be explained eventually but first, you need to rest."

Before he could respond, the woman waved her hand at him and somehow his clothes were no longer soaked anymore. Instead they were incredibly warm, as if they had just been taken out of the dryer. The sudden heat warming him up let his muscles finally relax and made him incredibly drowsy as a yawn escaped his lips.

"Sleep, child. You will be safely protected," the woman said in a soft, melodic tone.

Bruce struggled to keep his eyes open, not wanting to doze off with a stranger around, but he had no energy left and he felt like the woman was trustworthy enough for now. With another yawn, he laid himself back down on the ground and curled himself into a ball. He felt himself begin to drift away, but not before asking one question.

"What...what's your name?" he asked, shutting his eyes.

The woman smiled as the young boy finally fell asleep.

"Athena."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Bruce woke up to the sounds of birds chirping and a soft breeze whisking over him from somewhere. With eyes still not ready to open to the world, the young boy stretched his arms out in the air, bringing them down a moment later and startling himself when they hit a hard floor. He immediately sat up; his eyes blinking open to the image of the inside of a cave. A groan escaped his mouth as he stretched out his sore body, wondering if he should just go back to sleep and hope that this would all go away.

He had hoped, so very desperately that this had all been just a horrible nightmare. That he would just wake up and find himself back home in bed, waiting for Alfred to knock on his door to remind him that his breakfast was getting cold.

Instead he was right. It was all a nightmare, and he was living it.

Once he was fully awakened, Bruce just sat there against the cave wall, staring at the other side with a blank look. He was trying to remember everything that had happened. First it was the storm, then the wave, then the near drowning experience. Then awakening on a beach and hiking through a forest through the pouring rain until finding shelter here. It all seemed so impossible, straight from a story book, but here he was.

And the most baffling of all were his hallucinations. There had been the owl that had saved him from sea, but he was almost certain that had been his near unconscious mind playing tricks on him. What he was not certain of, however, was the mysterious woman who had appeared out of nowhere. Surely he would have noticed if there was anyone else in the cave with him, so where did she come from?

No, it must have been another hallucination. It had to be.

"Oh good, you're awake," came a cheerful, soft voice.

Bruce's jaw nearly fell open as he watched that very same woman from last night enter into the cave with a makeshift bowl made from straw, filled with fruit.

The woman didn't seem to notice his astonished look as she placed the bowl of fruit in front of him and sat down against the opposite wall across from him. She reached over and grabbed a fruit herself, taking a generous bite and closing her eyes to marvel at its taste.

"Mmm, the fruit here is simply divine. I forgot how much I enjoyed them."

Bruce just watched her with bewilderment and confusion as she took bites from her fruit. Finally, after a few minutes of silence, he spoke.

"Athena?"

The woman's eyes popped back open and a smile appeared on her face. "So you remembered."

He only looked at her suspiciously. "Athena… As in the Greek goddess Athena?"

"So you've heard of me," Athena beamed, taking another bite of her fruit. "I'm glad to hear that my reputation precedes me."

Bruce snorted, grabbing his own fruit from the basket. It was a bright-red apple which he tossed in the air a few times before eyeing it carefully.

"I didn't poison it, if that's what you're wondering," Athena said in an amused tone. "Have a bite. I promise you will enjoy it."

He glanced at her, then at the fruit in his hand before finally taking a small bite. For just a split second his eyes lit up, surprised by the sweet, juicy taste that flooded his mouth, before quickly narrowing his eyes again. Unfortunately Athena had seen his change of expression and smirked.

"Like it?"

Bruce just mumbled something incoherently, turning away as he took another bite of the apple. Athena just smiled, finishing off her own fruit and reaching to grab another one. Silently, the two of them ate their breakfast without saying a word to each other. It wasn't until the last fruit was eaten that Bruce finally spoke up again.

"Who are you really?"

Athena crossed her legs and looked at him with an amused expression. "You don't believe me?"

"I may be young but I'm not stupid," he answered, crossing his arms across his chest. "The idea of a god existing is already ridiculous in its own right. The idea of me talking to one is absolutely absurd."

"You don't believe in the existence of gods?"

"I believe in scientific fact and reasonable logic."

"And if it can't be proved with functional means?"

"Anything and everything can be proved in some way. It is a matter of not having the knowledge to understand the proof that makes things unprovable."

The sides of Athena's lips curled upwards. "You certainly are a skeptical one, Bruce Wayne. A smart quality to have, if not, cautious."

His eyes narrowed. "How do you know who I am?"

She just smiled. "I'm the goddess of wisdom."

The two sat there for a few moments in silence, watching each other; one with suspicion and the other with slight amusement.

"So let's say, hypothetically, that you are who you say you are. Why is the goddess of wisdom spending time with an insignificant mortal like me?" Bruce questioned.

Athena frowned slightly. "Not all gods are as ignorant towards mortals as humanity depicts us to be. I like to think that I'm quite connected with humanity actually. That includes helping those in crucial moments who are in need of aid."

Bruce paused and stared at her. "You saved me?"

"Yes, indeed I did."

"So you were the owl?" he asked in disbelief.

"Oh, no. Unfortunately Poseidon and I are not on greatest of terms and to stay out of each others' way, I try to avoid entering his territory and he tries to avoid entering mine," Athena explained. "When I saw you were in trouble I sent my owl out to help you."

A huff came out of his mouth and he leaned back against the cave wall. "I hope you realize how utterly ridiculous this all sounds and it's hard to believe that anything you are saying is true."

Athena simply shrugged. "Believe what you wish to believe Bruce, but I am only here for you."

"If you are as godly as you say you are, why don't you just help me by sending me home?" Bruce snapped.

She let out a sigh. "Unfortunately even gods have rules. The most prominent is that we are not to interfere with humanity."

"But you interfered when you saved me," he countered.

"Saving you from drowning is one thing. Bringing you across the globe in the blink of an eye is entirely different. Besides, the gift of transportation is Hermes' gift, not mine."

Bruce's eyes narrowed and he glared at her. "If you can no longer help me then why are you still here?"

"I am here to protect you and keep you safe."

"What is there to protect me from? The weather?" he scoffed. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

Athena simply shook her head as she began to stand up. "There is still much you do not know or understand about this island. I must go, but know that you are safe under my protection."

"Right, because I'm being watched over by the goddess of wisdom," he said sarcastically.

Bruce watched her with narrowed eyes as she picked up her straw basket and made her way out of the cave. Before she left, she looked over her shoulder at him.

"We will talk soon Bruce."

"If you can find me again," he responded with as much distrust in his voice as he had when they had first met.

Unfazed by his coldness, Athena gave him a small smile before leaving the cave and disappearing around the corner.

Only a few seconds after she left, Bruce quickly got up and ran out of the cave, hoping to see where she had headed off to. But when he got outside and looked around, he couldn't see a single trace of her.

It was as if she had simply vanished.

* * *

Later that day, Bruce found himself wandering around the forest looking for firewood and anything else that would be useful for survival. He still wasn't sure how he was going to get home, but after the initial shock of realizing he might very well be stranded here for a while, his survival skills started to kick in. The first thing he needed was heat and warmth, so creating a fire would be essential for not freezing to death. Too bad Athena didn't leave him any matches before she had disappeared.

His talk with Athena still irked him. What she had said was outlandishly absurd, yet, there was a certain quality about her that made him want to trust her and dare he say it, want to believe her. She had seemed to be completely open with her during his questioning and surprisingly, he felt himself want to open up to her as well. It was as if there was something different about her than anyone he had ever met before.

If she ever found him again, he would make sure he figured out exactly who he was dealing with. Perhaps she was telling the truth that she was only there to help him, or she could be deceiving him for a personal objective. Either way, unless she proved somehow that he could trust her, he was going to watch her carefully.

As Bruce bent down to pick up the last of the firewood he would need, he suddenly heard a crack of a twig in the distance. He immediately dropped the firewood and grabbed a nearby stick he could use as a weapon. If this was a bear or a wild animal of some kind, he needed something to defend himself with.

Pushing his back against the trunk of a tree, he heard quick footsteps coming closer and closer towards him. His heart beat in his chest as he listened closely, trying to figure out if he should run, climb, or stand his ground. As the sound grew louder, he managed to distinguish it as the clacking of an animal's hooves and to his surprise, another set of smaller, lighter footsteps behind it.

Looking over his shoulder, Bruce was shocked to see a large deer running towards his tree at full speed and behind it was a girl wearing a long white toga who was chasing after it.

But this wasn't just any girl.

This was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

She looked to be around his age, with long, raven hair that flowed behind her as she ran and large blue eyes that sparkled with joy. The huge smile on her face made her glow and for a split second, Bruce believed that goddesses truly did exist and that surely this girl was one of them.

Mesmerized by the strange girl, he was astounded to see not only the girl keep up with the deer but actually be able to catch up to it. He watched in amazement as she got close enough to the animal to be able to jump and grab the creature's neck, swing herself up on top of it in one motion.

"I got you!" the girl announced happily in Greek, her angelic voice vibrating throughout the forest.

To his shock, the deer didn't try to shake her off like he expected it to. Instead it slowed down to a stop as the girl giggled loudly on top of it, as if it was admitting defeat in being caught and had been playing along all this time. Bruce watched as the raven-haired girl stroked the deer's neck as it turned its head around to lick her hand.

Finally able to snap out of his trance, his mind was finally able to begin processing what he was seeing. Who was this girl? Where did she come from? How is it possible that a human can run that fast?

"Phillippus look! I caught up to it, just like I said!" he heard the girl exclaim out loud.

Before his mind could begin the thought process of wondering who Philippus was, his ears picked up the quiet whistling of something in the air. Out of instinct, he ducked.

Bruce felt something barely graze the top of his hair as he dropped to the ground and when he looked back up, he was shocked to see an arrow sticking out of the tree where his head had been just a second ago.

"Who are you!?" A demanding Greek voice rang from behind him.

Bruce immediately spun around to see a bald, dark-skinned woman wearing full-body armor glaring at him from above. An arrow, which was tightly pulled back in a bow, was aimed at his head and he could tell that the woman wasn't afraid to let the arrow go.

"M-my name is Bruce," he stuttered in English. He could speak Greek but under the current circumstances he seemed to forget it.

A flicker of surprise passed along the woman's face before the glare returned. "Where did you come from!?" she questioned, this time in English.

"I, uh, was swallowed up by a wave and washed up on a beach," he answered truthfully, still caught off guard by the sudden interrogation.

"Impossible!" the woman spat, pushing the arrow forward. "Who sent you?! No male should be able to find this island!"

"Philippus?" Bruce heard the voice of the girl approaching and he turned his neck slightly to see the girl, still riding the deer, appear from behind the tree. He made eye-contact with her and she seemed completely shocked to see him.

All he knew was that now that he saw the girl up close, he wasn't sure how it was possible that anyone could be so beautiful.

"Princess, stay away from him!" Philippus barked in Greek.

Princess?

"What were you doing spying on the princess!?" the woman demanded, forcing the arrow forward to the point where the tip was barely grazing his neck.

"I… I don't-"

"Were you trying to assassinate the princess!? Who told you where to find her!?"

Bruce opened his mouth to speak but for the first time in his life, he was speechless.

"Philippus, you don't need to be so harsh," he heard the girl say in Greek. At least the girl didn't seem as hostile as the woman.

"Do not sympathize with him Diana! All males are dangerous and will corrupt those who pity them," Philippus replied to the princess before turning back to him. "Your mother will deal with this one."

The next thing he knew, a fist was flying towards his head.

Then darkness.

* * *

"Where did he come from?"

"Is he a demon?"

"The gods have forsaken us!"

Bruce groaned, feeling the throbbing in his head as he slowly opened his eyes. His head was spinning, he was sure he was concussed, and the multitude of voices yelling around him certainly didn't help his headache. With another groan, he slowly tried to pick himself up but felt his arms jerk back, preventing him from standing up. Looking down, he saw that his hands were chained to the ground.

Perfect.

"He's awake!"

"Kill him! Before he kills all of us!"

"**Enough!**" A loud voice boomed through room, quieting all the other voices in the room.

Bruce took the opportunity of silence to look around his surroundings. He found himself in a large, court-like room with large, wooden stands on either side of him, filled with women. He was chained in the center and in front of him was a large throne, guarded heavily with armored women on both sides. He recognized one of them as Philippus, the one who had knocked him out, who stood next to the owner of the booming voice.

She was a woman, tall and proud, wearing the most elegant toga he had ever seen. Her flourishing blonde hair was pushed back by her golden crown, which glimmered in the light along with the rest of her golden jewelry. Her stoic facial expression and set jaw made her look very intimidating while her striking blue eyes, though familiar, bore into his with a condemnation beyond which he could understand. Everything about this woman screamed royalty.

This must be the girl's mother.

And he was being accused of trying to assassinate her.

Fantastic.

Slowly, the royal woman stepped down from her throne, glaring at him the entire time until she stopped a few feet away.

"I am Queen Hippolyta and this island is my domain," she said. "You are trespassing."

Her voice was beautiful but intense, and was laced with hatred, all of which made for a strange combination. He also noticed that she had addressed him in English and not in Greek, presumably not knowing he spoke their language fluently. Good, the less they knew about him the better.

"Who are you?" the Queen demanded to know.

"Bruce."

"Very well _Bruce_, how did you get here?"

"I was on a boat when a storm hit and I was washed overboard. The next thing I knew, I was waking up on a beach on your island," he answered stoically. He didn't want to show weakness in front of all these people, unlike how he did back when an arrow had been thrust near his throat.

Hippolyta regarded him more carefully, however. "How did you get past the barrier?"

"What barrier?"

That seemed to have been the wrong answer because as soon as his words left his mouth, the room returned into an uproar. He heard himself being called a liar, among other things, while others called for his head. The uproar continued until the queen raised her hand and instantly the room fell silent.

Hippolyta stared him down with eyes that warned of the consequences of misspeaking, and he believed her.

"Listen closely child, this is a serious matter and we shall not be tolerant towards deception. We have means of getting the truth from you," she cautioned. "Are you aware of who we are?"

"You are amazons."

"Yes, who told you this?"

Bruce shrugged. "Based on Greek mythology, the amazons were a tribe of warrior women who were notorious for despising the male gender. From what I've seen so far, you all seem to fit the description."

"I can assure you child, we are as real as you see us. For millennia we have lived on this island, safely hidden away from the evils of Man's World and protected by the gods. That is, until we discovered you," she explained, seething. "So, I ask again, who sent you!"

He could tell that he was nearing the end of the Queen's patience and so he chose his words carefully, recognizing that his life was on the line at the moment.

"Everything I have told you is the truth," Bruce answered honestly. "You can even ask the woman who had helped me and have her confirm that what I am saying is true."

The Queen seemed surprised with this new piece of information. "What woman?"

"Tall, brown hair, grey eyes, wore a silk white chiton," he described, remembering the woman's physical appearance. "She said her name was Athena and claimed to be the goddess of wisdom."

Everyone in the room, including the queen herself, reeled back in shock at the mention of Athena's name. A gasp rang out throughout the room and immediately another uproar emerged, this one far too large for the queen to be able to stop with another simple wave of her hand.

"He claims to have seen the goddess of wisdom!"

"He uses the wise one's name in vain!"

"He must be stoned to death!"

Following the loudest voices from the outcry, Bruce felt himself being hit by items in all directions as the angry amazons began throwing anything they could get their hands on at him. Everything from rocks to sandals were being hurled towards him and Bruce just barely managed to duck out of the way of a stone aimed at the side of his head.

Meanwhile, Hippolyta, who had frozen in shock, had to be pulled back by her royal guards so she wouldn't be hit by anything. She was suddenly jerked to the side to avoid a rock which hit Bruce on the shoulder and the guard who had pulled her away glared at the section who had nearly hit their queen.

Snapping out of her shocked state, Hippolyta looked around at the outrage from her people and glanced at the boy covering his head as he was pelted with projectiles.

"You majesty, what should we do?" one of her royal guards asked her.

Hippolyta watched as Bruce was hit by rock after rock and felt slightly pitiful for him. "Take the boy to his cell and try to calm down our sisters before someone does something drastic," she ordered. "I will talk this matter over with the high council and we shall decide on what to do with him."

"Of course, my queen," the guard bowed quickly before rushing towards the other guards, passing along the instructions.

Bruce, who was in an incredible amount of pain, was relieved when he felt the presence of two guards around him begin to release his chains. The projectiles thrown towards him slowed as he was aggressively hoisted up, but not before a precisely thrown stone hit him right above the eye and he immediately felt blood begin trickling down his face. He felt another pain shoot up his left arm as the guards unceremoniously carried him out of the room.

Pain aside, he was glad that the ordeal was over and even let his head hang down low as he was dragged outside. At this point, he didn't even care anymore.

By the time they reached his cell the sky had just started to darken and night was creeping forward. Bruce felt himself being tossed inside the cell and heard the cell door slam closed as he hit the ground and groaned.

"Here is your food for the night," spat one of the guards, pushing forward a plate of unidentifiable food. "Make any futile attempt to escape and we will kill you."

Bruce didn't respond, simply lying there on the ground with his eyes closed. It wasn't until a few minutes later that he sensed that the guards had left and he finally opened his eyes to the dark cell he now called home.

It was small, with a small berth for him to sleep on and a little hole in the corner for him to relieve himself. A rusty sink was below the high window, barred with steel bars and barely giving him a view of freedom.

He never thought he'd wish to return to that cave of his more than now.

With another groan, Bruce forced himself up and stumbled towards his berth where he collapsed almost instantly. He could feel multiple bruises start to swell all over his body and the gash above his eye wouldn't stop bleeding either. He also still had the headache from being knocked out initially so overall, he didn't feel too well.

If gods really did exist, every single one of them hated him.

"Rough day?"

He didn't even bother looking up when he heard Athena's voice in his cell. He didn't even want to know how she even got in here but at this point, she could be the goddess of creation for all he cared. As long as she wasn't here to give him another bruise, he would make do with the company.

Letting out a small groan to acknowledge her presence, he felt her walk over to him and sit down on the side of his bed. She gently turned him over so he was lying on his back and staring up into her grey eyes. She gave him a sympathetic smile.

"These don't look like they feel good," Athena lightly joked at his bruises, lifting up his shirt to check on them and wiping away some blood from his forehead.

"They definitely don't," he answered, not really in the mood to joke around.

He winced when he felt her finger trace the gash above his eye and before he could jump up and react, he was surprised to find that it had stopped bleeding and his headache had gone away as well.

"I thought you were the goddess of wisdom," he said plainly.

"I occasionally dabble in healing," Athena smiled. "So, you believe me now."

"What I believe or don't believe doesn't matter," Bruce answered.

He paused for a moment.

"You seem to have quite the reputation amongst the amazons."

"Yes, they are some of my last devoted followers and are quite passionate in regards to their belief system," she nodded. "I suggest you use my name scarcely from now on."

"Duly noted."

Athena could tell that Bruce didn't seem to want to talk at the moment so after a minute or two of silence, she reached down and picked up a familiar basket.

"Here, I brought you one of these," she said, lifting up a bright red apple to his face.

For the first time today, Bruce allowed himself to let out a little chuckle. With a little bit of Athena's help, he was able to sit up and take the apple from her hand, finding the smallest hint of relief in the juicy fruit.

Together, they ate their apples in silence through the night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

Early the next morning, a group of women gathered together in the queen's chambers to discuss the situation at hand. To the public, this group was known as the high council—a select few of high ranking officials who come together to make decisions regarding difficult affairs. To them, however, they were simply known as friends.

The high council was created in the early years of Hippolyta's transition as queen. She had quickly learned that part of her responsibility as queen was to make the tough decisions for her people. Through painful experiences, she had come to find that asking for second opinions often made making the decisions easier. As she had already been going to her closest friends and allies for help, she had decided to make them her official advisory group and gave them a name—thus the high council was created.

When the council first started, it had consisted of only a few members, each with their own special connection with the queen.

Antiope was the older sister of Hippolyta who had decided to forgo the crown in favour of living a normal life. Ever since then, she had taken on a more motherly role for the island and was the first person Hippolyta approached when faced with difficulty. She was the first to join the council.

Philippus had been Hippolyta's closest friend since childhood and still was to this day. Her realistic views kept Hippolyta grounded as she would often find herself sucked into the role as queen and would need someone to remind her that she was more than just a role in a royal hierarchy. Philippus had been an obvious choice to add to the council, especially after she had become the general of the Amazonian army.

The last member of the early high council was Penthesilea, another one of Hippolyta's childhood friends and most trusted allies. The general before Philippus, Penthesilea had fallen in the battle against Hercules and had died both bravely and honourably. After the war, she had been mourned over for weeks and was forever remembered as the one who had led the charge in the fight for Amazonian freedom.

Years later, Io would replace Penthesilea on the high council and was named the chief blacksmith and craftswoman of the island. Her architectural skills helped rebuild Themyscira following the war and solidify their defences in case of another attack.

The most recent addition to the council was Alexa, the island's chief healer and philologist. Often found with a book in her hand, Alexa was one of the most friendly and beloved people on the island. She was also one of Diana's closest friends, often helping the princess with her problems when her mother was busy dealing with something else.

Over the years, the activity of the high council has diminished more and more. Following the creation of the public council, many of the decisions could simply be made in court, with Hippolyta acting as a mediator to ensure both sides can come to an agreement. With a functional system in place, the high council is only called when a severe issue is at hand.

For years, the high council had not had to come together for a decision.

Until now.

"So, what are we thinking?" Io asked, following the discussion the group had just had an hour prior.

"I believe we have two reasonable options here. Either we kill him, or we send him back out to sea," Philippus proposed.

"We can't just kill him," Antiope immediately opposed. "He is only a child."

"Then we shall go with the second option."

"How is sending him out to sea any different than killing him?"

"What I would like to know is how he was able to pass through the barrier," Hippolyta interjected, knowing that those two could go on for hours.

"By all accounts, that act should be impossible," Io agreed. "Alexa, have you any information on that?"

She shook her head. "I've read through every text and passage we have in regards to the barrier placed around our island and none have given an explanation as to why the boy was able to pass through it. One can only surpass the barrier if they have had prior knowledge of the island, but for the boy, theoretically that is impossible."

"We should not rule out the idea that he could be a demon trying to deceive us," Philippus pointed out. "If he is a demon of Hades', he should not have a problem surpassing the barrier. Hades has deceived us before."

"Perhaps it would be best if we spent some more time investigating into the situation more," Antiope suggested.

"Unfortunately we do not have that time," Hippolyta replied. "Our sisters are already enraged that a male was able to step foot on the island, let alone stay for a night. Philippus can confirm to the outrage that took place during yesterday's meeting."

"What has the public council said?" Io asked.

The queen shook her head. "They too are quite furious. So much so that I believe that their judgement is being influenced by their anger. If it were up to them, the boy would have been hung last night. We must come to a proper, reasonable decision."

"I still fail to understand why we do not just kill him," Philippus protested. "Have we forgotten what his kind has done to us in the past? The longer we allow him to live, the more time he has to corrupt us."

"Philippus! We are amazons, not savages! Only savages turn to murder to solve their issues."

"I agree with Antiope. Male or not, he is only a boy," Alexa said, turning to Hippolyta. "'Lyta, did you know he is about the same age as Diana? Could you imagine sentencing her to death?"

The queen looked away, feeling slightly ashamed that the idea of killing a child was quite prominent in her mind. But Alexa was right, she couldn't begin to imagine how she would feel if it were Diana rather than the boy.

Just then, the door to the chamber swung open and all heads turned to see none other than Diana run into the room. Behind her, one of the royal maids appeared, looking tired and disheveled. Clearly the princess has been keeping her busy.

"Mother!" Diana giggled, running into her mother's arms. Hippolyta noticed the dirt her daughter was covered in and immediately stepped back.

"I'm sorry your majesty. I tried to get her to take a bath first but she ran up here before I could prepare it for her," the maid apologized, bowing her head.

"That's alright Myrrha," Hippolyta said, turning to her daughter. "Now, how is my little sun and stars?"

"Mother I did it! I finally taught Achilles a trick!" Diana happily exclaimed.

"Did you now?" Hippolyta smiled, knowing how much her daughter has been trying to teach her horse something new.

"I did! We went on a ride through the woods and I got her to jump over things!"

"That sounds wonderful."

"Maybe you can show your auntie Achilles' new trick," Antiope said, ruffling her hair.

"Ok! I can show you right now!" Diana jumped excitedly, grabbing her aunt's hand to lead her out. She was stopped by her mother touching her shoulder.

"Not right now my little sun and stars. We are currently in a meeting right now about something very important," Hippolyta said.

Diana looked around the room at the other members of the high council, giving them a little wave before turning back to her mother.

"Is it about that boy?"

Hippolyta was startled slightly but quickly recovered. "Yes, it is about the boy. He is very dangerous so we are trying to figure out what to do with him."

"But mother, he looked like a nice boy when I met him," she said innocently.

Hippolyta's eyes widened and she shared a look with the others. Crouching down, she took Diana's hands and looked her in the eye.

"Diana, listen to me. People like him might look harmless but their kind is full of violence, hatred, and cruelty. Never trust a male like him or he will trick you and corrupt you."

"But mother-"

"No buts Diana," her mother said sternly, changing her tone so she knew she was serious. "Do not go near him, do you hear me?"

Diana nodded her head. "Yes mother."

"Good," Hippolyta smiled, lightly kissing her daughter on the forehead. "Now go and clean up and I will see you later this evening."

"Ok," Diana said, quickly saying goodbye to everyone in the room before walking to the waiting maid outside.

"And don't keep troubling Myrrha!" Hippolyta shouted as her daughter stepped outside into the hallway. Diana only giggled and then suddenly turned and ran the other way. Myrrha sighed before quickly running after the princess as the door closed behind her.

"She's become quite the handful hasn't she?" Philippus commented afterwards.

Hippolyta simply sighed with a small smile on her face. "Yes, she certainly has."

"Shall we continue the meeting?" Antiope suggested.

"Oh yes, of course. Before my daughter interrupted us, I was going to say that we have a third option we can carry out if we cannot come to a consensus."

"What would that be?" Io asked.

"We can seek the advice of the Gods."

"The Gods? The Gods rarely answer our prayers directly," Philippus pointed out. "Are you sure they will answer to this matter?"

"Perhaps," Hippolyta answered simply. "No mere mortal, nevertheless a small boy should be able to pass through the barrier. If there is anyone who can give us an answer, it is the Gods."

"I think we may as well try. We can't seem to agree on anything at the moment," Alexa said.

"I agree, maybe the Gods will help us determine the correct way of dealing with this boy," Antiope concurred.

Io nodded. "Me as well."

Hippolyta turned to Philippus, who looked at everyone else before letting out a small grunt.

"Fine," she begrudgingly agreed. "The boy did speak Athena's name so maybe talking to the source will help us figure out who he is."

Hippolyta nodded, standing up.

"Very well, I shall seek an audience with the Gods immediately."

* * *

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the island a little girl was running through the forest, weaving between trees and jumping over stones. She hoped she had managed to escape Myrrha's watchful eye because she knew she would be in a lot of trouble if she was caught.

Following the path through the trees for the purpose of not being spotted, Diana saw the end of the path up ahead and slowed to a walk. Quietly she snuck her way forward until she reached the edge of the forest and crouched.

A smile crept onto her face after she took a few minutes to look around from her hidden position. Just like she had thought, no one had bothered to watch the prison. After all, who of her man-hating sisters would want to break a boy out of jail?

Coming out from the trees, Diana made her way to the entrance of the prison, seeing a flight of stairs that led down to the cells. With a deep breath and curiosity practically tingling on her fingertips, Diana slowly made her way down into the dark jailhouse.

When her sandal touched down from the last stair, Diana looked forward at the dark hallway with cells all along the sides. Down here it was very and smelt of dust and rusted metal. She couldn't remember a time anyone was put here in her lifetime. Usually when an Amazon was found guilty of a fault, they would be sentenced to manual labour instead of jail.

Walking forward, Diana peered into each empty cell she passed by. This was also the first time she was down here so naturally she was curious as to how everything looked. All the cells looked the same with the same small and lonely feel to them. She couldn't imagine what it would be like if she were put in one of these. As she walked, she continued to look into each empty cell until she came to the last one; the only one that was not empty.

There, in the middle of the room was the boy. The same one she had seen yesterday in the forest and the same one she had made eye-contact with and immediately felt a connection with. Truthfully, while curiosity has always been her weakness, the real reason she was here was to find out just who this boy was and why he was so… interesting.

Currently this boy was doing push-ups and didn't appear to have noticed her standing outside his cell. She thought about saying something to get his attention but couldn't help but watch him as he went up and down at a constant rhythm. His shirt was off and she could see every bit of muscle he was using. For a male, he certainly had quite a bit of muscle definition, reminding her of the male god statues and paintings she has seen.

For a few minutes, she simply stood there watching him, awkwardly shifting from one foot to the other. He still hadn't looked her way yet so she only assumed that he had no idea he had an audience. When she was finally about to clear her throat to get his attention, he suddenly bolted up and stood up tall, wiping the sweat from his forehand with the back of his hand. He walked over to the sink and began washing his hands and face.

"What do you want?"

Diana was caught off guard with his harsh acknowledgement and became flustered. "Uh… um…I-"

"You've been standing there watching me for the past five minutes," he said, turning off the tap and patting down his hands and face with his shirt. He turned around and faced her, glowering at her darkly. "What? Did they send you to watch me or are you here to stone me again?"

"Stone you?" she asked, confused, until she noticed the dark bruises all over his chest and arms. "Who… who did that to you?"

He scoffed. "Who do you think? Your people aren't too fond of people like me."

Realization dawned over her and her eyes widened. Guilt immediately welled up inside her as she lowered her eyes to the ground. "I'm sorry."

The boy seemed surprised by her apology and the glower disappeared on his face. He went silent, looking at her for a few seconds before walking right up to the bar directly in front of her. He looked much more different up close than at a distance and she didn't notice it before but he was about half a head taller than her. His body frame was larger than she had thought and she found herself drawn in by his deep blue eyes. Gulping quietly, she also felt her heartbeat increase suddenly for some reason.

"Diana. The princess." It wasn't a question but rather a statement.

She was once again caught off guard. "Yes, how did you know?"

"Your name and status happened to come up right before I was knocked out by your bodyguard."

Oh. Right.

"I'm sorry, Philippus tends to be a little intense sometimes, but that's why she's the general," she said apologetically.

He looked at her again, as if studying her. "You're different than the others. Why are you here?"

Diana shuffled her feet. "I'm… curious. I've never met a male before. I'm the youngest on the island and I've only ever heard stories from my sisters but I've never met one in person, especially one from Man's World."

"What do you want to know?"

"Well first… what's your name?" Diana asked.

"Bruce Wayne."

"You have two names?" she asked in confusion.

He shook his head. "We use first names and last names, and sometimes middle names to differentiate everyone. 'Wayne' is my last name and 'Bruce' is my first name. Usually you only address someone with their first name."

"Ok, Bruce," she said, smiling. Bruce. She liked that name. It fit him.

"Anything else you wanted to ask?"

She thought for a moment. There was so much she wanted to know, about him and about Man's World. But there was one thing she wanted to know most of all.

"What… what's it like? Out there, in Man's World?" Diana asked hesitantly.

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "That's kind of hard to answer. Is there anything specific you want to know about it?"

"Uh…" she twirled her finger in her hair nervously. "Um… is it as cruel and violent as they say it is?"

She could tell her question had struck a chord in him from the look on his face. It was gone as soon as it had appeared but she had seen it. And it made her all the more interested.

Bruce didn't respond for a while, and for a second, she thought that perhaps he had lost interest in her. But then quietly, his voice had returned.

"Where I come from, people are free to do what they want," he started in a low, solemn tone. "The problem with freedom is that when people think they can do whatever they want, they start to do horrible things. Things that shouldn't be done, and things that hurt other people."

"Oh," she said in a disappointed tone. For some reason, she had hoped that Man's World wasn't as bad as that.

Bruce seemed to have sensed this and quickly changed his tone. "But," he started again, getting her attention, "there are good people out there. I saw it before and it makes me believe everything can get better. People aren't born evil or anything like that, they just lost their way. They just need someone to help bring them to a good and better future."

Diana nodded, understanding him. A better future… Did she have a better future? Did she too need someone to bring her there or… could she be the one to help others get there? Could she be the one to bring good to the people of Man's World who had lost their way?

They both had gotten so lost in their thoughts that they didn't realize they had begun to lean in closer to the bars to the point where they were inches away from each other. Diana was the first to notice their closeness and immediately jumped back, blushing heavily. Bruce too looked slightly embarrassed and took a step back.

"I, uh, think I should get going," she said quickly, not used to feeling so vulnerable. She had been here long enough anyways. Myrrha must be looking everywhere for her.

"Ok," he simply responded, picking up his shirt and putting it on.

"It was nice meeting you Bruce. I hope we see each other again," she said truthfully.

"That's not really up to us," he replied coldly. And she knew he was right.

"Goodbye Diana."

She looked in his eyes and tried to memorize its shade of blue.

"Goodbye Bruce," she said sadly before turning around and walking away.

She hoped that wasn't the last time she saw him.

* * *

Hippolyta walked down the path towards one of the larger temples that had been constructed millennia ago. In her hands she held items of offerings: wine, olives, and herbs with a sweet smell to them. Hopefully it would be enough to coax this specific goddess out to talk.

She had thought long and hard about which goddess she should approach for aid in this matter. She could have went to Artemis to find out how dangerous the boy could be, or Aphrodite to gain advice on how to deal with him the most compassionately. Hera was also put into consideration as she was a queen as well and would be able to tell her what was best for her people.

But in the end, she had chosen Athena as the goddess she would give her offerings to. She could certainly use the wisdom of the wise one to make a smartest decision. She also wished to know why the boy claimed to have spoken to her on his first day on the island.

Entering the grand temple of the goddess of wisdom, Hippolyta removed her sandals and gently settled her offerings on the altar. She then went around lighting each candle that surrounded the altar in a semi-circular shape before settling on the carpet directly in front of her offerings.

"Oh mighty Athena, goddess of wisdom and patron of Themyscira, I have brought offerings of wine, olives, and herbs for your presence. I pray to thee for your wisdom and aid in the situation at hand."

Hippolyta waited for a few moments, hoping to hear some sort of response from Athena. She waited, and waited, and after many minutes of waiting all she got was silence.

Barely catching herself from cursing in the goddess' temple, Hippolyta stood up and crossed her arms, staring at the offerings. Of course the gods wouldn't answer her prayers, just as they hadn't in the past decade. Perhaps it was naïve of her to think they would have answered this time.

Part of her wondered what had caused this sudden broken link between the amazons and the gods. When they had first separated from Man's World, she and Athena used to speak on a daily basis. She didn't even need to use an offering to talk with her goddess friend. Athena used to just appear whenever she said her name. What had changed?

"Damn it Athena! I need your help!" Hippolyta called out in frustration. "There is a boy on the island. I'm not sure how he got here but he claims that you had helped him. I need your wisdom in deciding what to do with him."

She waited.

All she got was silence.

"Athena!"

And then it hit her.

A bright light appeared around her, blinding her temporarily. Hippolyta raised her hands to her eyes to cover them from the painful light. As she did so, she heard a gust of wind enter the temple and blow towards her, passing right by her ear. Though almost incoherent, she was able to make out one word.

_Μυστικó_

Secret.

What secret?

Suddenly the blinding light disappeared and images began to appear in her head, answering her question.

The first image was of the boy fighting against… Diana? They appeared to be on the Amazonian training ground with Philippus watching over them and a group of amazons crowding around to view the spectacle of the clashing of swords between the two children.

The next was the picture of a darkened sky which covered Themyscira in a black shadow. Indistinguishable shadow figures seemed to emerge from the darkness, surrounding the royal castle. She hadn't seen so much darkness in so long that it frightened her as to what this meant.

The last image was what surprised her the most. It was a picture of a battlefield, with the sky tinted with a hue of red, signifying the bloodshed to come. She could see her Amazonian army ready and prepared to fight, with their shields held in place and swords lifted in the air in a battle cry.

What was shocking, however, was the person who led them. It was not her, nor was it Philippus but instead it was the boy, grown up and dressed in what appeared to be a strange black suit of armor. Also to his right stood Diana, grown up as well into a beautiful woman, wearing none other than the champion armor along with the lasso of truth attached on her waist. Together, they appeared to be leading the Amazonian army into battle.

These three images continuously cycled through her mind as if they were on a loop. They only lasted for a few seconds but it was long enough for Hippolyta to memorize them and understand the message that was being sent to her.

As soon as the images disappeared and she found herself back in the temple, Hippolyta immediately bowed down to the altar which no longer held the offerings she had brought.

"Thank you Athena. I understand what I must do."

Then swiftly, she left the temple to call an emergency meeting.

* * *

For the second time in the past 24 hours, Bruce felt himself being dragged around like a rag doll as two guards pulled him along into a building. When they had first come to his cell he knew that it only meant that a decision had finally been made. There were really only two plausible options. Either kill him or let him go. And it would be wishful thinking to believe the latter was a real possibility.

As the guards pulled him through a door, Bruce let out a groan when he realized they were taking him back to the court house from yesterday. At that moment, he was pulled into the familiar room and as soon as the amazons saw him, they began to curse and yell at him from the stands.

At least they weren't trying to stone him to death again… yet.

Hooking his chains back up to the same little platform he was chained to yesterday, Bruce faced the empty throne in front of him as he waited for whatever was to come. A moment later, everyone in the courtroom stood as the queen entered. Behind her followed the highest ranking officials of the amazons, which included Philippus who eyed him with a fierce look, and they took their place next to the throne as the queen stood before it.

Bruce noticed the uneasiness within the group of women and found that to be very strange. He didn't get a chance to really indulge into his thoughts however, because the queen began to speak.

"Amazons, I have called this emergency meeting because we have finally come to a decision regarding the fate of the boy before us," Hippolyta announced.

Immediately the crowd broke into cheers, many of which were calling for his head and others demanding they burn him alive. The queen raised her hand to quiet the crowd while Bruce let out a sigh, prepared to hear the words that would seal his fate.

"This decision is irreversible and cannot be argued, as it is my decree, as well as that of the high council."

All the amazons in the stands waited on the edge of their seats for the obvious verdict as Bruce lowered his head in preparation for the inevitable.

"As of this moment, this boy is to be accepted in as one of our own. He is to live among us and learn our Amazonian ways as the first male Amazon."

Everyone in the room fell silent in shock. Nobody could believe what they had just heard. One person had even fainted while others stared with their jaws hung open.

Bruce too was in a similar state and at that moment, only one thought came to mind.

_WHAT?_

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

_**I would like to thank everyone for the encouraging reviews and the great advice.**_

_**To give some insight on my plan moving forward, I do not wish to implement a specific schedule in regards to updating this story. In my past writing experiences, setting a schedule only puts more pressure on my writing when it should really only be a hobby and nothing more. As such, this time around I won't be following a deadline or anything like that. Chapters will usually come out every week or so but depending on how busy I am, this may not always happen.**_

_**Anyways, thanks again for the awesome support. I hope you enjoyed.**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

"This will be your chambers."

The royal maid, Myrrha, he believed was her name, opened the door to a small room and held it open for him. He could tell she was only being courteous towards him due to the queen's orders. The scowl of her mouth and look of disgust on her face confirmed this. He could also tell that she was internally reeling in disbelief that he was even still alive.

To be honest, so was he. He was just about as confused as everyone else but he certainly wasn't about to argue over the pardon given to him.

Stepping into the room, Bruce breathed an internal sigh of relief when he saw that the room was in fact a bedroom and not a glorified version of a prison cell. The bed that lay under the large windows was covered in soft, white blankets and pillows his neck has yearned for these past few days. There was a bookshelf to his left and a rack with a toga already hanging from it and a pair of sandals below. He even had a desk with some paper, as well as some feathers and ink set on top.

Hippolyta wasn't kidding when she said he would be living as though he were one of them.

He muttered a thank you to Myrrha as he walked further into the room. He could feel her eyes staring daggers into his back but he was still far too confused to really care.

He heard her let out a huff and he turned around to face her. "Per the queen's instructions, you are free to wander the palace until supper, where you are to join her majesty in the dining hall. _Enjoy your evening_."

Bruce could clearly hear the venom laced in her sarcastic tone so he simply gave her a nod. She gave him a glare in response, staring at him as if to remind him of his place before slamming the door closed.

As soon as the maid left, Bruce made his way to his bed and sat down, rubbing his eyes. The past 48 hours have been a whirlwind of emotions and now he was as confused as ever. Unless the Amazon queen had suddenly grown a heart of gold towards men, there should have been no reason to keep him around. Hell, not just to keep him around but to keep him here to be raised as an Amazon.

He wasn't sure if he should be glad to be alive or worried that he'll be living on this island for the foreseeable future.

"This place is much better than that dingy cell."

And of course, he also had to deal with his self-proclaimed caretaker.

"I would have preferred the cave," he mumbled, turning to Athena who was leaning against the desk, twirling a feather around her fingers.

"For someone who was granted their life, you sure don't look too appreciative."

"I would prefer to know all the details before I start giving out thank-yous," he replied curtly.

The grey-eyed goddess raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You don't think it could have just been a gift from the goodness of one's heart?"

Bruce scoffed. "There is always a reason behind a good deed and this situation is no exception. There is a reason why I was kept alive and I want to know why."

"That is quite the pessimistic viewpoint," Athena pointed out.

"I would prefer the term vigilant," Bruce replied.

Athena let out a small laugh, putting the feather back down on the table. "Bruce, one must learn to be optimistic once in a while."

"That's easy for you to say as an immortal. When you're mortal, any day could be your last so it's better to be prepared than to be caught off guard."

"Who said I was immortal?" she asked in an amused tone.

"I can only assume it's part of the job description," Bruce answered dryly, making her burst out laughing. Her laughter was angelic and rang of a contagious melody that even made him crack a smile, although, as soon as he realized it he immediately made it disappeared.

"I wasn't sure you were capable of humour," Athena joked afterwards.

"There is a lot you don't know about me, _goddess of wisdom_," he poked back.

"Be careful, us Olympians don't typically like being challenged," she warned light-heartedly.

"Oh yes, I believe the name _Arachne_ seems to come to mind."

"Hey!" Athena snapped defensively. "Hubris was Arachne's downfall, not me. If I recall, I was the one who brought her back to life."

"As a spider," Bruce pointed out.

She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "You both could learn a thing or two about appreciation of the life given to you, or in your case, the life you kept."

Bruce stood up, shaking his head. "Once I no longer have a reason to be concerned, then I will be appreciative. Until then, you will have to pardon my skepticism."

She watched as he began peeling his torn up, bloodied shirt off and placed it on the rack. He started to do the same with his pants but suddenly stopped, turning around and looking at her.

"Do you mind?"

"No need to be so modest Bruce," she teased.

Bruce scoffed. "Some virgin goddess you are."

Athena laughed but compiled to his wishes, turning around to let him change.

After a few moments, Bruce told her he was done and she turned around to see him now dressed in a long white toga, held together by a golden-brown sash tied around his waist.

"You remind me of a young Diomedes," she praised, walking over to fix his shoulder. He gave her a narrowed glare that said he didn't enjoy being pampered so she backed away.

Picking up his old clothes, Bruce all but threw them away as he headed towards his door, stopping right before it. He turned around and saw her now seated on his bed and motioned towards the door.

"Are you coming?" he asked.

"Oh, no. The Amazons don't know I'm here and I would prefer to keep it that way," she explained.

"So if someone walks by the door they'll assume I'm talking to myself?"

Athena just shrugged. "I'll think of something."

Bruce only shook his head before opening the door and walking out of the room.

* * *

Later that evening, Bruce strolled through the palace hallways, making his way to the dining room where he was to have dinner with Hippolyta. Unfortunately his exploring of the palace earlier in the day had yielded no answers to his questions. He did find many similarities between the palace and his mansion back in Gotham, but it only made him feeler more uncomfortable being somewhere that felt like home but wasn't.

As he neared the dining room entrance, he spotted two guards standing on both sides of the door. As soon as he came into view, they began glaring at him and gripped their weapons harder.

"I was invited to eat with the queen," he explained when he got within a foot away from them.

"We know," one of then snarled.

For a few minutes they seemed to be caught in a staring contest, with two grown warrior adults trying to intimidate a small 10-year-old boy who didn't seem fazed at all. Eventually the guards backed down and reluctantly turned to open the door for him as a smirk came onto his face, but only briefly.

After the doors swung open, Bruce stepped inside with the guards closely behind him. His eyes immediately began to wander in amazement at the huge dining room. The walls were covered in Greek paintings and images with other decorative objects lined along the pillars. In the middle of the room was a large chandelier, glittering brightly above the central dining table. And there, at the head of the table was Hippolyta, waiting for him patiently.

"Bruce," she said, nodding when she saw him. "Thank you for joining me this evening."

"Thank you for inviting me your majesty," he answered politely, moving to take a seat. When he did, however, the guards followed him closely behind and Hippolyta quickly raised a hand.

"Thank you sisters but you may leave us."

"But your majesty-," one started to say but was interrupted.

"I will be alright."

Hesitantly, the guards looked at each other and began heading back towards the doors but not before shooting Bruce another glare. He simply responded with a blank look and watched as they disappeared behind the closing doors.

When it was just the two of them left in the room, he turned to Hippolyta, who regarded him with a neutral look on her face. Bruce wasn't sure what the Amazonian traditions were for eating with the queen but luckily she noticed this and spoke up.

"We always begin our meals by honouring Hestia in prayer."

He simply nodded.

Bruce sat there quietly as Hippolyta talked through a prayer to the goddess of the hearth, Hestia. Once she was finished she removed the silver cloche from her plate and he did the same, revealing the evening's meal. Before him was a delicious plate of pork, along with some potatoes, vegetables, rice, and some bread on the side. Haven not had a proper meal in two days, Bruce was prepared to begin tearing into his food but luckily he remembered he was in the presence of a queen and managed to control himself.

For the next few moments, the two of them ate in complete silence, the only sound coming from their soft chewing. It wasn't until Bruce had eaten almost half his plate when Hippolyta spoke up again.

"How did you find your chambers?" she asked, although he could tell it was merely small talk to break the silence.

"Good, thank you," he answered simply.

"I also assume you took up my offer to explore the palace?"

"Yes, I did. It is quite beautiful."

"Did you find anything interesting in particular?" Hippolyta questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"The library." And the armory, but he wasn't about to mention that to the obviously skeptical queen. "I plan on exploring it more later."

"I shall have Alexa accompany you then." It was more of a demand than an offer.

Again silence fell the table and the two of them had a few bites of their meal.

"I'm sure you are wondering as to why I invited you to dinner this evening," she started, breaking the silence.

"Yes, it came to mind."

Hippolyta put her fork down and looked him in the eyes. "I wish to know more about you, as you are the first male who is to live among us in over millennia."

"Alright," Bruce replied with slight hesitation. He didn't trust her and wasn't sure how much about him he wanted to reveal.

"To begin, you're name is Bruce, correct?" He nodded. "What is your full name?"

"Bruce Wayne."

"And how old are you?"

"Ten."

_Only a year older than Diana_, Hippolyta thought. "That would place you six years from your coming of age but three years late to the beginning of your training. I'm sure some additional practice will catch you up within a year or two."

"Training for what?" Bruce asked, although he felt he already knew the answer to that.

"All Amazons are required to go through military training and are expected to spend a majority of their lives in the army. You will be expected of the same, unless you have other ideas," she challenged, daring him to argue against her.

"No."

"Good. Now I would also like to know from where you came from."

Bruce hesitated, He wasn't sure if he wanted to disclose information about his home. "Why would that matter? I'm here now anyways."

"Like I said, I would like to know more about you, including where you were born and raised," she replied firmly, watching him attentively. "And remember, I have alternative ways of getting the truth from you if you choose to hide it."

He wasn't sure if that was a bluff or not but he didn't really want to find out. With a huff he crossed his arms.

"I come from a city called Gotham."

"And where is this _Gotham_ located?"

"In America."

"And where is that?"

Bruce let out another huff of annoyance, sitting back in his chair. "Unless you wish to journey out into _Man's World_, which seems to be a forbidden place to the lot of you, then there is no reason for me to explain exactly where I come from."

The Queen eyed him distrustfully but also with a slight bit of admiration for standing up to someone like herself. At least the boy has guts.

"Very well, I'll let the matter pass. But be careful as to how you talk back to me boy," Hippolyta threatened.

Suddenly the door burst open and both their heads turned to see Diana walk into the dining room, breaking the tension. Bruce saw that she hadn't seemed to notice him yet as she was walking towards Hippolyta.

"Mother, when's dinner? I'm getting kind of hungry," she started to say until she saw the plate of food on the table. "What? You started eating without me?"

"Did Myrrha not tell you to eat in the kitchen today?" Hippolyta asked, clearly not expecting to see her.

Diana shook her head. "No, I've been out all day training with Mala and Artemis."

Hippolyta let out a sigh. "Diana, I am having dinner with a guest at the moment."

"A guest?" she asked, turning to the other side of the table. As soon as she made eye contact with him, her jaw fell open and her eyes widened in shock. "BRUCE?"

As soon as the initial shock passed over, a smile slowly appeared on her face and a flash of relief passed through her eyes. Bruce couldn't help but slowly smile back but unfortunately, not everyone in the room was so pleased.

"Diana! Do you know this boy?" Hippolyta demanded in a forceful voice. Hearing this, Diana's shoulders tensed up and she faced her mother nervously.

"Uh… yes… Philippus and I were the, uh, ones who found him, right?" she stammered.

Hippolyta's eyes only narrowed. "Diana…"

"Ok fine," she sighed, murmuring quietly, "I went to see him at the prison yesterday."

"You did what?!" she yelled, standing up. "Diana, what did I tell you?"

Diana put her head down. "I'm sorry mother."

"You!" Hippolyta seethed as she pointed at Bruce. "You dare try to corrupt my daughter? I should have you hung!"

Bruce was about to defend himself by mentioning that he was the one who had been locked in the prison but Diana came to his defence first.

"Mother, please! Don't blame Bruce," she pleaded, hoping to calm her mother's rage. "It was my choice to see him. He did nothing wrong. I was only curious and wanted to ask him some questions."

Hippolyta's eyes darted from him to Diana then back to him. She seemed to consider whether or not she should have him killed right there and then, but ultimately the queen settled back into her seat.

"Diana, we will talk later," she said as she stared at Bruce angrily from across the table.

"Yes mother," she replied dejectedly and turned to start heading out. She gave Bruce a little wave when she passed by him and he smiled back.

When Diana left, Hippolyta took a sip of her wine and set it back down, giving him a cold glare. "I want to make this very clear. I may have let you live but I do not trust you, nor do I like your kind. While you are here, for however long that is, you will abide to my rules."

He just nodded his head, although underneath his blood was boiling. He didn't like being talked down to, queen or not.

Her eyes narrowed. "You will also stay away from Diana. Aside from training, eating, and during special celebrations, I do not want you anywhere near my daughter. Am I clear?"

Bruce had to grit his teeth as he reluctantly nodded his head, complying with her order. He desperately wanted to talk back and comment on the injustice being placed, but he was smart enough to pick his fights and now was not the time to do so.

Seeing that he agreed, Hippolyta's anger went away but she still maintained a firm demeanor. "Good. I will briefly explain what you will be doing from now on. Each member of the high council will be mentoring you through our culture and traditions."

"Philippus will be training you and you are to learn our fighting techniques directly from her or from whoever she assigns to you. You will learn how to fight like an Amazon and how to use our weaponry."

"Antiope will be teaching you our traditions and basic Amazonian etiquette. She will show you around the island as well as teach you how to pray to each of our gods in their respective temples."

"Io is our island's top blacksmith, getting her skills from the great Hephaestus himself, and from her you will learn how to craft tools and weapons in the workshop. She will also teach you of our architectural designs in our buildings and defensive structures."

"Lastly Alexa will be in charge of giving you an education. She will guide you through subjects of mathematics, science and literature, among others, as well as teach you some of our healing techniques. When you are not training, I expect you to be greatly immersed in your studies."

"And what will you be doing?" Bruce asked, already not liking the program he was being put into.

Hippolyta narrowed her eyes. "I will be monitoring your progress as well as your daily activity. Rest assured, everything you do will be reported back to me. If there is a problem then I will personally deal with you myself."

The queen finished off her meal and gently cleaned her mouth with a napkin. "Do you have any questions for me before I allow you to retire to your room?"

Bruce looked at her with a million questions swirling in his mind, half of which he knew wouldn't be answered directly and the other half would probably get him killed. But the question that bugged him since this morning came up and he knew he had to ask it.

"Tell me," he began, crossing his arms. "Why did you spare my life?"

The question caught her off guard and Hippolyta was at a loss for words for the first time that evening.

He pushed on. "It's obvious that you don't like me much, or anyone else on the island for that matter, so what made you decide to not only to keep me alive but to integrate me into your society?"

Still flustered, Hippolyta cleared her throat and sat up to her regal stature. She thought about what to tell him and in that moment, the word _Μυστικó_ whispered in her mind and she remembered the first thing Athena told her to do was keep it a secret. Though she's already told the rest of the high council, she could assume that she was not to tell anyone else.

"I have my reasons," she snapped, hoping to squash his curiosity of the subject. "If you are unhappy with my decision, I will gladly reverse it if you'd like."

The two of them stared heatedly at each other with fire and stubbornness in their eyes, refusing to budge from their positions. It was Bruce who finally gave up, wiping his mouth and standing up.

"Thank you for the dinner," he forced himself to say, doing his best to disguise his anger at being kept from the truth.

"You are welcome," Hippolyta replied, keeping her eyes on him as she stood up as well. "For tomorrow, ensure you are awake by dawn. Your training with Philippus will start then."

He nodded. "Have a good night," he said through gritted teeth.

Hippolyta nodded in return.

With a swift turn of his back, Bruce marched out of the dining hall, feeling her eyes on the back of his head the whole way out. Passing by the same guards from earlier, he didn't give them a second glance either as he stormed his way back to his room.

When he got back and opened the door, he found Athena relaxing on his bed reading a book from his bookshelf. When he slammed the door shut, she turned her head to him and smiled.

"The story of Odysseus," she said, gesturing the book in her hands. "One of my favorites."

"Yeah, I've read the Odyssey before," he huffed as he grabbed the chair from his desk and spinning it around, plopping down on the seat.

"I take it dinner didn't go so well?" Athena asked, closing her book and sitting up, her brown hair falling over her shoulder.

"Nope."

She leaned her elbows on her knees and placed her chin over her hands. "Well did you find out why they kept you alive?"

"Nope."

She rolled her eyes. "Was the food good at least?"

The look he gave in response said "really?" and Athena just laughed, leaning back on her elbows.

"You're clearly not interested in talking," she noted. She waved her hand and the next moment, a large chess board appeared between them. "Chess?"

Bruce looked at her, looked at the chess board, then blinked a few times to confirm that it was really there. When he turned his attention back to her, he raised an eyebrow as if to question how she did that and she just smirked in response.

"Sure," he finally relented, turning the chair around as Athena gleefully took her spot opposite to him.

And so, that's what they did for the rest of the night.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Not a big fan of this chapter but it'll have to do. If it ends on a strange note, it's because I didn't really know what else to write so I just ended it.**

**Also if Athena's speech and attitude seems kind of weird in the sense that she will talk really proper in one moment, then talk "normally" and act playfully in the next, you'll have to excuse me for that. I'm still working on her character so there'll be some bumps along the way. I'll probably end up writing her as more of a playfully, joyful personality because I like it more and it kind of contrasts Bruce's dark personality, making them a good pair. Keep this in mind if she ever seems un-goddess like.**

**Next chapter we'll check in on how Alfred's doing as well as Bruce's first day of training.**Hip


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Thousands of miles away, a familiar man paced around the living room of a large mansion, found just outside the city limits of Gotham. The crease in his forehead deepened as he walked back and forth, occasionally dabbing his face with a handkerchief to remove the sweat from his head. Meanwhile across from him sat a friend of his, who watched him pace around as he quietly sipped on a cup of tea.

"What am I going to do Lucius?" Alfred questioned, his breathing quickening. "I was given one task by Thomas and Martha and that was to take care of their son! Now I've lost him heaven knows where while I'm here at home! I should be out there looking for him! Not back here in Gotham in the home his parents left to him!"

Lucius calmly placed down his tea and regarded his friend with a sympathetic look. "Alfred, my dear friend, you need to calm down. Please, come sit. Join me for some tea. I'm sure all that pacing around isn't good for your concussion."

"But Lucius, Bruce is somewhere out there somewhere an-"

"-and panicking isn't going to bring him back," Lucius interrupted, motioning to the open seat across from him. "Come, sit down and we'll talk this through."

Alfred let out a heavy sigh. "Very well," he murmured but complied with his friend's request nonetheless. As he took a seat Lucius poured him some tea, accepting the cup from him afterwards and softly blowing on the surface of the hot liquid before taking a small sip. He had to admit, the tea felt soothing but it did nothing for his rising anxiety.

"I've never seen you like this before. Normally you're the same cool, calm, and collected fellow I met at the train station many years ago," Lucius commented.

"Well, I've never had a reason to be so panicked until now," he replied, sipping his tea with a shaky hand. "The young master is missing and I have no idea where he is or how he is doing."

"Hasn't there been a search team looking for him?"

"Yes but they've found nothing. It's a wide ocean with hundreds and hundreds of islands. I fear... I fear even if they do find him he might be-"

"I'm going to stop you right there," Lucius suddenly cut in, slapping the armrest for emphasis. "If there is one thing that I am certain of, it is that Bruce is still alive, and still will be when you find him. That boy is a survivor. He will find a way and besides, he is far too stubborn to die."

That elicited a soft chuckle out of the old butler. "That I can agree with."

"Good, then you can worry a little less. Focus on yourself. How have you been doing since you've gotten back? Have you been properly eating and sleeping?"

Alfred sighed. "Perhaps I will admit it has been a lot less than usual."

"Then that is a place to start. You won't be helping anyone if you aren't taking care of yourself first. I also hear Leslie has been helping you out?"

"Yes, she has been wonderful since I've gotten back. She is taking the day off tomorrow to take me out into the city," he replied.

Lucius nodded his head in approval. "Mmm, that is great to hear. That woman can make miracles happen. There is no doubt in my mind she will do you nothing but good."

"Yes, I am quite looking forward to spending some time with her," Alfred admitted. "Perhaps it will take my mind off everything."

Lucius placed his cup of tea down on the table to refill. "See old friend? There's no need to worry so much. Once you feel better we can rethink how we approach looking for Bruce."

"You're right. Thank you Lucius. I feel better already."

"Anytime Alfred," he smiled, leaning back with his cup of tea once again.

"Besides, I'm sure Bruce is fine."

* * *

Bruce was not fine.

The harsh rays of the sun burned from above as sweat trickled down his face, dripping to the ground and immediately evaporating from the hot Greek weather. His arms, covered in dirt, mud, and bruises wavered below him while his entire body stung with overexertion and exhaustion. Still, Bruce clutched onto the wooden sword in his hands and forced his tired body into a defensive position once more.

"Again!"

Bruce looked up just in time to narrowly avoid the slash of a sword aimed for his head, and quickly brought up his own to block the follow up attack. Jumping back he swayed, panting as he watched his opponent come at him with another fury of strikes.

If there was ever any doubt in his mind about the Amazonian general's capabilities, they have all been undoubtedly squashed within the past hours. Philippus was keen as she was intimidating; fierce, technical, aggressive, and as stern as they come. Plus she packed quite the punch behind her fists, and if there was something she didn't like about you, she would show it. Physically.

His day so far has been far from easy and peaceful. He had been rudely awoken early in the morning, before the sun had even come up, and was greeted by an unhappy Philippus waiting outside his door. From there, his "Amazonian training" had begun, starting with a 20-mile run around the island and followed up with gruelling strength and conditioning training. When the island began to wake up, he was lifting rocks across the training grounds and by noon, the easy stuff had been completed and his combat training had begun.

They had started with some basic forms in hand-to-hand, then moved on to some more advanced techniques. Later he was shown how to fight with a sword and spent the rest of the time following Philippus as she led him through the fundamentals of sword fighting. The concept of fighting was not new to him, as he had begun training himself in martial arts about a year ago. What was new, however, was having a harshly critical teacher that taught by example and demonstration. Against him, to be exact, which explained his cuts and bruises.

But perhaps the worst part about training wasn't the training itself but rather the philosophy behind it. Bruce quickly learned that part of the Amazonian culture was to hit first, ask questions later, and this translated to their fighting style. Their style was all about offense. Offense, offense, offense. Every form, every stance, every technique was based upon overwhelming your opponent with hard, fast hits and as much as possible.

And Bruce hated it.

As someone who was fundamentally rooted from logic, he found the all out offensive style of the Amazonians to be utterly ridiculous. The idea of a style based solely on offensive capabilities and with very few defensive forms baffled him, and the amount of flaws he could point out in their techniques were astounding. He began questioning how the Amazons were able to stay alive for so long with such a flawed, and frankly stupid, fighting system.

And then, he found out why, when his sparring began.

Apparently along with being immortal, Amazons were also blessed with enhanced strength, speed, and endurance. This advantage just so happened to compliment their fighting style perfectly, allowing them to easily overpower any opponent who wasn't trained to specifically counter their offensive techniques.

But there was still one glaring problem.

He didn't have the same advantages as the Amazons.

So why was he training as if he was one?

When he asked Philippus this question his only response was a hard smack across the head along with the order "Don't question what you're told". This, evidently, pissed him off and Bruce would spend the rest of his time fuming inwardly at the arrogance and naivety of his teacher. Being insulted when he tried doing things his own way certainly didn't help calm his flame either.

In the present time, Bruce was still just as furious as he was before. His teacher didn't care about his limits so why should he care about her teachings? He refused to follow the Amazonian style of fighting and instead spent each sparring round fighting his own way; playing defensive and waiting for an opportunity to attack. Unfortunately this infuriated Philippus over time and as a result, gave him a few more cuts and bruises than he should have.

As he jumped away from another barrage of quick strikes from the Amazonian general, Bruce could see the fury burning in the back of Philippus' eyes as he desperately tried to catch his breath.

"Attack me you coward!" she ferociously demanded.

Normally he would respond with something either witty or logical, but he was so tired that his mind couldn't focus on much and all he managed was a small smirk.

And apparently that smirk was all it took to fully enrage the Amazon general.

One moment he's watching Philippus fume in anger and the next, he is on the ground face first in the dirt and a throbbing feeling on the side of his head. With a groan he slowly propped himself up on his elbows, spitting out some dirt from his mouth and glancing at the now broken wooden sword in his hand. He tossed it aside and looked up at his teacher, who was looking down on him with a mix of anger and annoyance.

"You arrogant boy, your skills are atrocious and your form is abysmal, yet you refuse to follow even the most basic of fundamental practice," Philippus spat angrily as he rolled his eyes. "You fight like that against a real opponent and they would have your head in seconds! Hera, I'd happily do it myself if I could!"

Bruce ignored her and took the moment to finally catch his breath. His eyes lazily scanned around the training ground, watching other amazons practice shooting with a bow while others sparred with swords. With a deep inhale, Bruce was about to get back up when something caught his eye.

Farther down the training grounds a familiar bundle of raven hair bounced around in the air as its owner jumped and lunged forward. The princess Diana was just as light on her feet as she had been back in the forest, easily dodging a punch and quickly responding with a side kick and a tough jab. Her opponent, a red-haired woman, took the kick but blocked the jab, countering with a roundhouse kick which Diana narrowly avoided.

As he watched them spar, Philippus seemed to have caught his eye and huffed, giving him a not too gentle kick. "Distracted are we? Well, perhaps you'd rather fight one of them than me."

Bruce's eyes immediately widened at Philippus' proposition but before he could say anything she was already calling them over.

"Diana! Artemis! Over here please!"

With another groan Bruce popped himself back up just as Diana and Artemis jogged over to join them. When he looked and made eye contact with the princess, his body instantly felt rejuvenated. She had her hair propped up in a little ponytail with a few loose strands flowing out to the sides. Her face still lit up just as it did the first time he met her, and though she had just worked up a sweat, it only added a further allure to her already stunning profile. When she gave him a small smile he couldn't help but smile back.

"Hi Bruce," she greeted softly.

"Hello princess."

"Artemis, this is Bruce Wayne," Philippus introduced.

The red-head immediately turned to him and eyed him up and down. "So you're the male everyone's talking about; the one who was granted a life on the island."

Up close, Artemis was much more built than he first expected. She looked to be younger than most of the women on the island though not as young as he and Diana. He also immediately picked up on a certain attitude surrounding her—something of an aggression and fierceness that rivalled that of Philippus.

"Yes, that would be me," Bruce responded flatly.

Artemis looked at him again and frowned. "Hmm, I don't see what's so special about you," she said, crossing her arms. "You seem weak, frail. I don't sense a warrior's spirit from you."

"Perhaps one of you would like to test that," Philippus suggested, shifting between the two amazons before stopping on the princess. "Diana?"

She was caught off guard. "Oh… uh… me? Fight… Bruce?" Diana stuttered, glancing at him in the corner of her eye. "Um… I-"

"I'll do it," Artemis interrupted, grinning as she cracked her knuckles. "Unless, of course, you do Di."

"No, uh, go ahead," Diana wavered, turning and giving him a worried look. Bruce frowned.

"Great!" his red-headed opponent eagerly exclaimed, grinning widely, almost madly. "I shall look forward to testing this… _boy_'s abilities."

"This will be interesting," Philippus said, also seemingly enjoying this, perhaps more than he would have liked. "Let us watch from over here Diana."

The princess nodded her head and turned towards him, giving him a concerned look and her eyes full of worry. Ever so slightly, almost hesitantly, she touched his elbow as she leaned in to his ear.

"Be careful."

When she pulled away, he nodded. "I will, princess."

A small smile appeared on her face briefly before she turned and walked over to where Philippus was now watching, leaving him and Artemis alone. In the corner of his eyes, Bruce also noticed that a crowd seemed to have gathered from the commotion and no doubt were waiting to watch the two of them spar.

"So, how would you like to spar? Short swords or long swords?"

"I would prefer hand-to-hand," he responded, turning to his grinning opponent.

"Fine by me," Artemis happily agreed, slamming her fist into her hand as she cracked her neck.

Wordlessly, the two took a few steps away from each other. Turning around, Bruce noticed her doing a few stretches to get warmed-up so he took the time to take a few breaths and think about how he was going to approach this.

"Ready?"

He looked up and saw her peering at him with a predatory grin.

"Yes."

"Good," she smirked before settling into a fighting stance.

With a sigh, knowing there was pretty much no way out of this at this point, Bruce gave her a bow before settling into a stance of his own.

Right away, with what could only be known as a warrior's yell, Artemis charged at him.

Fast.

She closed the gap between them so quick that he barely had the time to dodge her initial punch. Unfortunately he couldn't avoid her left hand coming over from the side and was slugged right in the stomach, immediately winding him. Needing some space, he kicked her away and jumped back a few steps to recollect himself.

She was quick, and strong. Just from that first punch he felt like puking and he was struggling to catch his breath. He didn't get a chance to anyway because she immediately pounced again, throwing a combination of punches and kicks his way that he did his best to avoid and block. He ducked under a swing for his temple, which no doubt would have knocked him out, and brought up his arm to block a hard kick to his hip. He winced when they made contact and he knew he'd have a bruise there tomorrow.

Bruce tried a low sweep to knock her off balance but she easily stepped over it, slamming her heel down where his leg would have been had he not propped back up, right into her crosshairs. She threw a hard elbow which clipped him on the shoulder and a hard kick to his left thigh that made him clench his teeth in pain.

He was being overwhelmed completely. She was faster, stronger, more experienced, and worst of all, she wasn't holding anything back. He was simply outclassed and outmatched. He couldn't even land a hit on her and at this point, he knew he had to back up and approach this fight a different way. He was simply no match for the trained amazon.

Blocking another tough kick Bruce jumped away again. She closed the gap, he avoided some hits, then jumped away. And again. And again. And again.

Just like Philippus, he could see she was starting to get annoyed with his antics. The crowd also seemed to notice and he could hear the voices yelling at him to stop running.

"Oh, is the little boy scared? Am I scaring you?" Artemis taunted, making some of the crowd laugh. "Aww, I promise I'll go easier on you. Here, I'll even give you a free hit, right here."

Bruce didn't fall for the taunt. Instead his mind was working endlessly to find a way to beat her, or at the very least get out of this fight without being injured too badly.

Scanning the field he spotted a tree a few feet behind from where Artemis was standing and an idea immediately popped into his mind.

To everyone's surprise, he charged. He ran straight at Artemis who settled into a position and grinned widely. As he neared her, he put his weight into his right leg and threw a hard kick to her side. This she easily blocked with her left arm but luckily this was exactly what he wanted her to do.

Using the momentum of his kick, Bruce spun, whirling around in the air and extending his left leg as he came around. Apparently he had completely caught her off guard with his move because to his surprise, his left foot actually made contact and he laid a hard kick to the side of her head.

He landed behind her, hearing a "wow" go through the crowd followed by a string of curses coming from Artemis' mouth. Unfortunately he didn't have a chance to appreciate that move he just pulled off and quickly started sprinting to the tree.

By the time he got there, he could hear Artemis angrily chasing after him and so as fast as he could, he pulled himself up with a branch and began climbing, disappearing into the thick leaves just as his angry opponent arrived at the base of the tree.

"What in the name of Tartarus is this?!" he heard her yell, anger laced in her voice. "Running and hiding is for cowards! Come down and fight me Bruce Wayne! I'll show you a thing or two about fighting!"

Suddenly a thud was heard from behind the tree and Artemis instantly rushed around it, yelling as she jumped to throw a kick. Instead of hitting him though, all she got was air and when she landed, the only thing that was on the ground with her was a large branch.

"What kind of stupid, childish trick is-"

She was interrupted by something hard hitting her in the back of the head. Bruce's foot to be exact. After throwing the branch, he waited until she had her back turned away from the tree before launching himself and putting everything into his kick. The resulting impact sent him tumbling to the ground, landing hard on his shoulder but still better than any of the hits he'd taken from Artemis. When he looked up, he saw her lying on the ground, face first and not moving.

There was complete silence across the training grounds.

Bruce was so shocked that his idea had even worked to notice anything around him. He just stared at Artemis' motionless body with his mouth open and a grin just fighting to appear on his face. Unfortunately his small bit of satisfaction was halted when he was picked up roughly by the collar and was brought face to face with a furious Philippus.

"That was the most cowardly and dishonourable move I had ever seen!" she screamed, throwing him back on the ground with a thud.

"Dishonourable?! How the hell was that dishonourable!? I used a smart surprise tactic and won!" Bruce argued back, haven had enough.

"Only those without honour would strike another from behind like that. You, Bruce Wayne, fight like a coward and here, that is unacceptable."

"No honour?! You dare question my hon-"

"Enough! I don't want to hear it from you! I hereby disqualify you from this match and pronounce Artemis the winner!" Philippus announced, staring at him angrily before shifting her focus to Artemis, who was now being checked on by a few amazons. "You three, take her to go see Alexa and make sure she is alright."

"Of course, right away general," one of them said before helping the other two carry the unconscious Artemis away.

Philippus turned back to him. "As for you, Bruce Wayne, you are done for the day. I am severely unimpressed. You have much to learn before you become a competent fighter."

Bruce just snorted, earning himself a glare.

"The rest of the day is yours," she continued, still glaring at him. "I suggest you take a bath. You reek of incompetence and disappointment."

With that, she turned and left, leaving him on the ground wallowing in anger. As the crowd dispersed a couple amazons also shot him a few glares so it was nice to see that everyone now saw him as a coward.

"Hey, are you ok?"

Well, everyone except one it seemed.

Bruce looked up to see Diana smiling softly at him. She stuck out her hand and he took it.

"I'm sorry about Philippus. She's very by the book and can be kind of intense sometimes," she said, helping him up.

Bruce grunted, dusting himself off as he felt his new bruises coming in and the ache in his fallen-on shoulder start to arise. "Yeah, I've noticed."

Diana looked at him and bit her lip, slowly reaching out to touch his arm. As soon as she made contact he jolted, flinching in pain. He took a peak at his right arm where a particularly severe bruise was beginning to form right above his elbow. He flinched again when Diana softly touched the sensitive area, delicately tracing it with her finger.

"For what it's worth, I don't think you're a coward," she said, looking at him with truth gleaming in her eyes. "Artemis is one of the toughest fighters on the island and I think that was a really clever move you pulled off to beat her."

Bruce scratched the back of his neck. "Thanks, uh… I appreciate your honesty."

They made eye-contact and Diana quickly looked away, blushing slightly under his intense gaze. She took a step back and cleared her throat.

"If you're not up to anything else today, I was wondering if you wanted to come horseback riding with me. Alexa sometimes takes me and she can probably look over those bruises too. If you want, of course... I don't want you to think you have to..." Diana trailed off in a nervous tone, shifting from foot to foot and avoiding his gaze.

He smiled, glad that at least one person on the island didn't seem to resent him. And of course, he'd love to spend some more time with the pretty princess, but just as he was about to accept her offer, Hippolyta's voice ran through his mind.

_You will stay away from Diana. I do not want you anywhere near my daughter._

And though he didn't care much for the Amazonian Queen, he also didn't feel like pissing her off so soon into his new life on the island. With a reluctant sigh, he looked at the princess who was eagerly awaiting a response.

"Thanks, but I think I'd like to rest for the evening. It's, uh, been a long day," he said, watching as her expression fell from her face and he instantly regretted it.

"Oh, ok... I understand," she responded, though her disappointment didn't go unnoticed. "Um… I'll see you later then Bruce."

"Bye princess."

He watched as she walked away holding her elbow, disappearing into the distance. When she was gone, Bruce let out a deep, tired sigh, finally letting his exhaustion from the day catch up to him. Checking his elbow again, he gently touched over it with his fingers and flinched back. He sure hoped Athena could work her healing on him again today.

Looking around one last time at the training grounds he'd soon be very familiar with, he headed back to the palace.

* * *

"How was your first day of training?"

Bruce grunted, pulling his shirt off and throwing the dirtied and ripped cloth into the trash. Athena would have to make him another one.

"Shit."

Athena, who was sitting on his bed, fake gasped. "Hera! Such language!" she exclaimed in a sarcastic tone.

Bruce walked over and fell over onto his bed beside her, face first into the mattress. "Athena I'm really not in the mood for your teasing right now," he mumbled.

"Oh? And why's that?" she inquired, noticing the purple mark above his elbow. "That's quite the shiner you got there."

"Believe me, it doesn't feel as good as you would think. Courtesy of Artemis by the way, the amazon, not the goddess," he mentioned as he felt her run her hand over his mark, healing it.

"Ah yes, Artemis. I can tell you she was overjoyed when she found out she would be her namesake. Both are skilled with the bow and they share the same aggressive personality."

"Then by all means, don't feel inclined to introduce me to the other Artemis. One is enough for me," Bruce quipped back.

She laughed. "That, I can agree on. Now, why didn't training go well?"

He sat up suddenly, clenching his fists. "Because those amazons are stubborn and ignorant. Their fighting style is flawed in so many ways, yet they refuse to acknowledge them. All they focus on is offense, offense, offense, and even when I show that offense isn't everything, they call me a coward. The style is stupid to begin with and I'd much rather train myself then be taught that nonsense."

Athena didn't respond right away and sat there for a few moments.

"Show me."

Bruce raised an eyebrow and looked at her to figure out if she was joking. "Show you?"

"Sure," she encouraged, standing up. "Fight me using what Philippus taught you today."

"I just told you what I was taught is useless and now you want me to fight you with it?"

Athena put her hands on her hip and gave him an amused look. "I'm the goddess of war. Let me be the judge of how useful the technique is."

"Fine," he caved, standing up but making sure she knew he wasn't happy. "You want to see it? I'll show you."

With that, he lunged at her without warning, starting with a kick and following with a string of punches. When she blocked all of those with ease, he switched to a rear kick, forcing her back slightly and quickly threw a spinning roundhouse kick. She simply deflected it away but Bruce used it to get in close, throwing a combination of elbows, knees, and short punches. None of them made real contact but he didn't care, letting his anger drive his hits and throwing barrage after barrage at the goddess. He even tried a few grabs but they came to no avail.

After a few minutes of relentless attacking, Bruce finally backed up, breathing hard as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. Athena, who had pretty much stood in the same spot the entire time, nodded her head.

"I can see your point," she said.

"See? It's stupid."

"Well, I wouldn't say it's stupid," Athena responded, walking over and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Every fighting style has its flaws and the Amazonian style is no different. But just as each style has its flaws; it also has its strengths. The greatest fighters in history learned many styles and learned from the strengths of each one."

"Right, but how am I supposed to learn other styles of fighting when the amazons here are opposed to anything that isn't their style?" Bruce pointed out.

"Yes… there is that issue…" she pondered, tapping her chin. "The amazons have been separated from the outside world for so long, they've become obstinate…"

Athena fell into a silence, thinking hard, until suddenly she clapped her hands.

"I've got it! I'll teach you."

"You? Teach me?" Bruce questioned, almost in disbelief. When Athena just gave him a look, he rolled his eyes. "Right, goddess of war."

"This will be great!" she exclaimed, clearly excited about the idea of teaching him how to fight. "With me as your teacher, you'll be able to learn any fighting style that has ever existed. Even rare or even extinct styles."

Bruce perked at that. "Oh? Now I'm interested."

"Good to hear, but I have one condition you must follow."

He frowned. "And what would that be?"

Athena demeanour turned serious and she looked at him sternly. "You need to take your training with the amazons seriously. That means being open minded and willing to learn. Once upon a time the amazons were one of the world's strongest army. You can learn a great deal from them, especially from someone as skilled and experienced as Philippus. Do we have a deal?"

Bruce huffed and crossed his arms. "Fine, I agree. But let it be known that I'm only complying with their teachings because I have to and not because I want to."

"I'll be sure to shout it from the highest point of Olympus," she joked.

"Funny," he said before falling onto his bed again.

Athena looked at him and smiled, tapping her chin. "You know, maybe one day you might be the one to change the amazons' ways. Who knows? You might end up teaching them yourself."

Bruce snorted. "You're full of jokes today, aren't you? The day the amazons listen to me is the day the world comes to an end."

Looking out the window at the sky, Athena let out a soft huff, almost laugh-like.

"Let's just hope it doesn't come to that."

* * *

**_Author's Note:_**

**_I'd like to apologize for the recent hiatus on this story. Unfortunately I hit a wall way back when and when life got busy, I never found the time to come back. Luckily I picked this back up over the summer and hope to continue writing periodically. I can't be sure when updates will come out but I am sure I plan on finishing this story eventually. _**

**_Thanks to those who gave the story a follow and have caught up with this new chapter. I appreciate the support. _**


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